Stormy Heart
by MarsDragon2
Summary: Psychic Force. A collection of stories about Wendy, explaining how she knows Gates, why she didn't recognize Sonia, and what happened after she found Burn in 2012.
1. Chapter 1

One more block. Then Wendy would have searched almost every block from west 14th to west 23rd, and she could take a little break. She didn't really think Chris would be in New York, especially not Manhattan, but she was here and it was a big city. Easy to get lost in. It was why Burn had chosen the place as Anti-NOA's latest hideout, despite the absurd rent and the weather making him morose and tired. Wendy didn't mind so much. It was chilly, sure, but the way the wind swept through the buildings made her giggle, even as it drove rain and mist against her jacket. It even made her legs feel a little less sore, something she could appreciate after endless days of walking. At least she was in a pretty area, and the next block would have a bus stop so she could head back.

For possibly the 72nd time that day, Wendy wished her psychic powers were stronger. Keith could cover the entire world with his call. She could still hear him, sometimes, even knowing to block him out. Meanwhile, she could barely reach across a couple of blocks. Which was why she was briskly marching down the street, calling for Chris as loudly as she could. And if Chris wasn't on this street...then tomorrow she'd take on upper Manhattan. Then Queens. Then somewhere else, until they had to move on or she got a reply. She might not be able to cover the entire world in a single call, but _no one_ was going to beat Wendy Ryan in persistence.

Wait.

Wendy stopped, then had to apologize to the man who nearly bumped into her from behind while she tried to make sense of what she was feeling/hearing. Not Chris. Not even another psychic, NOA or not. Just an odd sort of dead space, a buzzing unlike the feel of the ordinary humans around her. Something...mechanical.

Weird. But not worrisome, not yet. Time to keep an eye open and not just float down the streets. Wendy raised her head and it was then she saw the large, half mechanical man standing on top of a nearby building.

"Psychic detected. It is my duty to kill you."

Oh.

Oh dear.

He actually was aiming that gun on his arm at her and even when she'd left NOA no one had ever tried to kill her before. Not really. Now-

Now it was time to fly. A burst of wind scattered the pedestrians around her and he wasn't shooting yet thank heaven, but his gun tracked her all the way above the low buildings around them. It didn't matter. He looked big and slow, and if there was one thing in the world Wendy was confident in, it was her speed. They had all known something like this would happen eventually. Burn and Emilio both had their horror stories of how the government had come for lost psychics. At least this was only one man. She'd beat him, go find Burn and Emilio, and get the hell out. She just...had to beat him.

One of them was going to die today and Wendy wasn't going to think about that any more.

The gun fired in a crackle of noise and the wind pushed her to the side and over the buildings before she could even think about it too hard. People were yelling and running down below. What was this guy thinking, attacking her in the middle of a crowded street? Wendy kicked off the roof of an apartment building and tried to get more height. She was facing the man now, and-

He could fly too. That just wasn't fair.

He could fire his arms too. Wendy flipped over one, and channeled her energy into a thin, slicing blade of wind before the man could do anything else weird.

"What are you DOING? This is a city!" Wendy screamed, trying to buy some time. They were in the middle of Manhattan. She could lead him into the air, where he might be able to match her speed with those guns. Or she could keep him close to the ground, where their fight could hurt people. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to hurt any innocents. What was she supposed to do?

"My duty. Mission: destroy all psychics." He shook his head a little, then blasted off the roof in a quick charge straight at her. Wendy sidestepped, just in time for him to turn around a fire a missile right at her.

A shield. It was exhausting, throwing all her power into protection, but the missile exploded right in her face completely harmlessly, right before the man cracked his fist right into the shield. Wendy felt the impact as a jolt that shook every bone in her body, but the man didn't seem any better off as he was pushed a bit away. All the opening Wendy needed to get some distance. The wind carried her up and away, faster than the man could even recover. "And that means me? We've never even met! I'm not in NOA! All I want to do is find my sister," he was charging her again but the wind howled around her like a storm, "and _you're not going to stop me here_!"

The tornado grabbed the man and whirled him around with all the force Wendy could muster before flinging him straight back into a building, straight through the roof. Somewhere behind the fury and fear Wendy felt bad for whoever owned that building.

The man didn't seem to be getting up from that. He was unconscious, Wendy hoped. Or it was a trick, and he was just waiting to get her in the back. She kept a breeze swirling around her as she landed. If she had to run, she'd be able to run fast. Without even letting her feet touch the rooftop, Wendy approached the hole. Nothing moved. She poked her head over-

-the man's arm nearly got her in the face. It would've gotten her if she hadn't had the wind push her back as soon as she saw it. She should've just left after all. The man had hefted himself out of the hole with one arm, and Wendy reached out for more blades of wind. After the tornado it was getting harder to think. Her powers were running low, making her head ache. If she could knock him down again, she'd just run and get Burn and Emilio. She'd never find Chris if she died here.

"Mission: destroy all psychics. For Tina. For Cheryl. Mission priority: high." The man seemed to be feeling the battle as well, small comfort as that was. His left arm was hanging limply with bits of electricity arcing out, and his sunglasses had cracked. But he was still aiming at Wendy, ready to fire.

"Tina? Cheryl? Who're they? I've never met them! Is killing me going to make them happy somehow?" That made the man pause a little, his arm wavering. Wendy pressed the tiny advantage. "It's not, is it? I don't know what your problem with psychics is, but-"

"Psychics are dangerous. They must...eliminated. To stop them from killing more people."

"I never killed anyone! That's Keith and his followers! I don't even _like_ them, I told you!"

After that they just stared at each other, not quite willing to kill each other, not quite trusting to back down from killing each other. Somewhere on the streets below, sirens were wailing. Pretty soon the army would be here and Wendy would have to run no matter what. She shouldn't even stay to finish arguing with the man. But if she could just convince him to lay off a bit...

It was the man who broke the tension next. "Threat level...dropping. Temporarily pause mission. System reboot. Human mode...activated." The man shook his head, as if trying to clear it. When he steadied, his posture was different. Less stiff. His voice had lost its mechanical edge when he spoke again.

"How...old are you, anyway?" Wendy blinked at him, and he just stared back. Was he just thinking of her as a kid now? Wendy didn't know if to be insulted about being treated as a child or angry he apparently didn't think anything of killing kids if they were psychic.

"...I'll be 16 in January."

"...in January. It's...October now?"

All right, maybe saying she was 16 already was stretching it a bit, but it wasn't any of this guy's business either way. But he was looking...less murderous as he walked over to look at the street. She still wasn't taking her eyes off him, even when he stood up, looking as normal as a two meters plus shirtless man with gigantic metal arms could look and faced her. "The police are almost here, but they shouldn't bother us. The army's already sent in their best." That got a shudder out of Wendy, even if she tried not to show it. He was the best the army had? If Emilio had been here instead... "Even though this is my first mission, I've got some leeway." Oh.

"So now what? You try to kill me, now you want...what? Because I meant that about not letting you stop me. Even if you're not firing missiles I'm not just going to walk off with you." Wendy didn't relax, exactly, but she calmed down enough to start gathering her power again. She wasn't going to continue a fight she didn't want to end properly.

The man looked at her again, as if considering how to reply. "I won't hurt you." Wendy couldn't help but add 'now that I've stopped trying to kill you' to the end of that. "I do hate psychics. They killed my wife and daughter. I'll never forgive Keith. Never. But...if you haven't hurt anyone, if you're really not a NOA member...I can't just kill a child."

It was one thing knowing vaguely that Keith actually did go out and kill innocent humans, that he really meant every word of violent rhetoric that left his mouth. It was another to actually meet someone who had lost family because of him. The entire thing just gave Wendy a sick feeling in her stomach. Did Keith know he was just inciting more hatred against psychics? Did he care? ...probably not.

The man was still looking at her, as if he wanted a reply. Oh. He probably did want a reply. "...oh. Thanks. That's nice." Something a little better than that, Wendy! she scolded herself internally. "I'm Wendy. What's your name?"

"Gates. Gates Oltman." He walked back over to her side of the building. Not too close, but near enough for easy conversation. Wendy let herself relax a bit.

"I...I'm sorry about your family. I really am. I was in NOA, for a bit, actually, but I had to leave. I couldn't...I couldn't be a part of an organization that does that. I just thought maybe, my sister might be there." She didn't move any closer to him, but Wendy adjusted her cap and let her arms fall by her side. The wind was still blowing, if she needed to run.

"You mentioned a sister. She's...missing?" The man, Gates, didn't look at Wendy, apparently preferring to look at the skyline.

"Yeah, a year ago or so." Wendy was getting better, talking about Chris' disappearance didn't make her sniffle any more. It still hurt, a little, but she was getting used to it. "She went off on an...an academic exchange trip to Hong Kong, where she'd get to do all sorts of sciency things. She loved science." And now Wendy was choking up, dammit, remembering how much Chris had loved, did love, observing animals and studying and playing with that chemistry set she had gotten for Christmas so long ago. "An...and one day she told me she was psychic, then a couple days later she just...disappeared. The school couldn't tell us _anything_. They couldn't do anything, so I decided to look for her myself."

That made Gates look at her. "All by yourself? What about your parents?"

Wendy laughed a little. "My dad hates psychics. Just hates them. If I told them...it wouldn't end well. And they might've hated Chris, too. I couldn't let them do that." That one hurt less and less by the day. If Burn and Emilio had to be her family, that was fine. If they could just find Chris too, they could just make it on their own. Even if it meant she could never really go home again that...that was fine. Really.

Gates looked away again, looking like he wanted to bite his lip but couldn't. He muttered more to himself than to Wendy, "If Tina had lived, if she had been psychic... But they're not all like that." He spoke up again, "He probably still misses you. I'd bet on it. ...heh. Cheryl's dad...he hated me. Said he'd disown her if she married me. But after a few years he couldn't resist checking up, and once Tina was born...you can't keep a grandpa away from his grandkids." Gates looked close to smiling and his voice was nostalgic. Wendy could believe he had been a normal man once, with a happy family. Before his face seized up and he clenched his hands into fists.

After that there wasn't much to say. There were a dozen different reasons for Wendy not to interrupt Gates' grief, from the kind to the selfish, and she wasn't feeling up to chatting after being reminded about Chris and her dad anyway. Right now she just wanted to go home, make some tea, and listen to Burn talk about his nice, normal part-time job. Then sleep and tomorrow look for Chris or try to find under-the-table employment again. Just a day-to-day life that didn't involve getting attacked by the military out of nowhere.

"I have to go now, if we're not fighting any more." Gates didn't reply but he didn't turn and fire either, and Wendy took that as a good sign. "Um...look, if you find any more psychics around here...if they're a boy with green hair, younger than me, or a man with blond spiky hair, like this" Wendy tried to gesture Burn's hairstyle with her hand "then could you not attack them, please? They're my friends, and they hate NOA too. They haven't killed anyone either, so..." she trailed off. Honestly, she should've left by now.

But Gates turned his head to her, a bit, and nodded just slightly. "If they attack me...I won't hold back. It's my duty."

Lovely. But also the best she'd get. Wendy nodded too, and with a quick, "Thanks!" she flew off as fast as the wind could take her. She wondered if Gates would get in trouble for letting her leave. Even if Burn was doing well at the restaurant, it looked like it really was time to leave New York.

And she hadn't even searched across half of Manhattan, let alone Brooklyn or Long Island. Damn.

It was raining again, and the wind was harsh. The IMPERIAL sign nearby swayed as if it was going to fall down, and the land groaned like the mountain itself wanted to fall to pieces.

It was not, in general, a night to be out searching. Which was exactly why Wendy was doing so. The miserable rain and biting wind would keep away all but the most determined infantry, and there was enough of a natural storm to tip the scale well into Wendy's favour if it came to an air attack. Besides that, it was a dark and trackless night for anyone that couldn't call out mentally to friendly minds.

And unfriendly ones, Wendy reminded herself. That intimidating blond man's, Setsuna's, words still haunted her. "Stupid girl...you don't need to go looking for that guy. Just keep poking your nose around in the army's business and you'll see him soon enough. ...don't think you'll like it, though." But Emilio couldn't have joined the army. No matter what happened, she just couldn't believe the gentle boy she knew would be in such a violent organization. But it was a lead, and that was more than she had for Burn...or Chris.

Still, there didn't seem to be anything from the army here. Maybe it was time to fly to the nearest town and see if there were any convenient hostels. She thought she had enough cash, if she took a cheap room...

Then.

A strange, mechanical buzzing in her head. Not a psychic, but familiar. A flash of memory brought back another rainy day, and that cyborg man. What was his name? And more importantly, why was he here?

She hoped _he_ didn't know anything about Emilio or Burn. That...Wendy couldn't even think of Emilio back in the labs, or Burn being dragged there for the first time. No one came back from there whole. And she...she couldn't support them all by herself.

But he was in front of her now, a great dim block in the dark and the rain. His metallic arms caught bits of unseen light, by far the most visible part of him. Wendy wondered if he could really see her, or if he had to tell just by sensors. What _was_ his name? She had to say something and, "Hey you," didn't seem...appropriate. Maybe a wave and let him talk?

"Target Wendy found. Eliminating danger to NOA."

What.

But he had hated NOA! Had hated psychics because of NOA! This couldn't be right. What had happened? She didn't really expect an answer, but she still had to ask, her voice confused, "You too? Why have you gone over to NOA?"

There was nothing on the blank face or the new visor that gave the impression of recognition. "Unable to respond. You are to be eliminated." And now his arm came up to fire.

A swift slice of wind knocked his aim astray, leaving the bullets to just miss Wendy's braid. Unable to respond? It had to be related to why he - Gates she recalled suddenly, his name was Gates - why Gates was in NOA in the first place. "Gates! Listen! It's me, Wendy! We met in New York, remember? You agreed not to-" A blast of electricity cut off the "kill me". "Gates!"

"Entity 'Gates' unrecognized. I am...Alpha."

So that was it. Someone, probably Carlo - it would fit with his sense of 'justice' - had stolen Gates and replaced him with a convenient soldier. Brainwashed him. Just like the humans had tried to do to any number of psychics. Just like Wong did. And now he was coming after Wendy.

She couldn't die here. Burn and Emilio, and Chris, they were all out there waiting for her. And if that took putting Gates out of his misery...it was bitter, but at least her time at NOA had taught her one thing. Sometimes mercy only came at the end of a knife.

The wind howled.


	2. Lightning Heart

NOA isn't big, but it's scary. The more stable psychics are helpful and friendly as they can be, but there's so few of them. And Wendy can't ask them to help her, not when she can feel everyone else's nightmares pressing down constantly.

Nightmares and hate, and it's the latter that makes her think Chris isn't here. Chris wouldn't be planning to take their lives back with power and blood. Wendy knows she wouldn't. Chris would help, of course she'd help, Chris would always help, but she'd be giving out food, blankets, a shoulder to cry on. NOA doesn't have enough of those. Thinking of Chris, Wendy tries. She still has some money from her savings and she's one of the only people that knows how to navigate a town without breaking down, so she flies out to Fairbanks and buys as much food and warm clothes as she can carry. It's not much, not without someone with gravity powers to help, but Brad can't be trusted in towns.

She's only got two jackets and a backpack full of canned food this time. Her converted cash is running low, and she's worried about trying to exchange more. She's starting to see more men in official black suits hanging around, and even if she's horribly unsure about NOA she doesn't want to be the one who let the government drag them all back to the labs.

The cans are dropped off at the kitchen, and hopefully one of the moderates who joined NOA from an ordinary life will do something with them, like Tommy or Sandra. Wendy could try herself, but she's not a cook...though all anyone cares about food here is that there's enough. There's never enough. There aren't enough decent clothes either, but Wendy drops the jackets off at the little room they're using for storage anyway. She's tired. Her shoulders ache, the wind's voice has dropped to a whisper, and there's a big meeting tonight. She doesn't want to go. If Keith says they're destined to inherit the world, that her parents and Maddie and Sam and Mr. Dockerson and the postman all have to die to see the light, she'll scream. And that's all she'll be able to do, because she can't go back there and she can't run away either. Not until she finds Chris and can stop worrying about how to survive because Chris has to know, Chris has to make everything better. She always could.

If Chris were here...if Chris were here, Wendy wouldn't feel so alone and-

If Chris were here.

Chris is here!

She's just at the end of the hall, turning away from Wendy as she points a new rescue to the cafeteria, but there's no mistaking that blue hair, that pose, that face even in profile. She's dressed weird, but it has to be Wendy's sister. It has to be! Wendy's sprinting down the hall, calling as much wind as she can just to get there faster, even if it's just a breeze because finally, finally everything's going to be all right. Even if they have to leave NOA, even if they can't go home to mom and dad, even if they have to hide, just being together would make it bearable.

Wendy crashes into Chris with an -oof- and an almost embarrassing squeak, wrapping her arms nearly completely around her sister. "Chris! Chris, I'm so glad, where have you _been_? You just disappeared and mom and dad were so worried was it because of your powers? I've got them too, it's okay! I came here looking for you and and" and the rush of words dries up, even if Wendy's been rehearsing this moment in her mind ever since she decided to run away from home. But there's really only one thing to say, and it comes out softly and surprisingly not choked against Chris' neck. "...and I missed you so much."

"I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong person. I'm Sonia, Keith's general. I don't know who this Chris is. "

Don't...know? Wendy looks up, and yes, there's only a gentle, puzzled expression on this woman's face. She does look like Chris, she really does, but she doesn't recognize Wendy at all and behind the soft look there's a kind of determination Wendy only feels from Keith. Chris had determination, yes, but it wasn't like that. Wendy pulls back a little, but her legs don't quite want to work so she's still half leaning on this woman, this stranger, just so she doesn't fall over.

"I'm very sorry." She's still talking. "This Chris, she was important to you? Have you asked Keith about her? If we can find her, if she's still alive and able to be saved, we'll do it. I promise."

Alive and able to be saved. No. Chris wouldn't be in the labs. She's too smart, too clever, too _strong_ to be one of the lost souls who stare at the wall and wake up screaming every night. Wendy wants to tell this woman that. She wants to tell her about Chris, how that couldn't happen she wouldn't let it happen Wendy won't allow it to be true-

"I...I never... saved...has to be alive, free..."

"Hush. It will be all right. Just trust us. You don't have to be scared any more. You don't have to be scared _ever again_. If we can find this Chris, we will. And if we can't, if something happened to her, I promise you I will destroy every single cringing human that dared harm her."

No Chris wouldn't want that she'd never want that.

"Don't worry." She's pulled Wendy into an embrace, petting her hair like Chris used to do but Chris would never say that. Would never have that awful vicious look in her eyes and maybe it's good Wendy doesn't have to see that any more. "I won't let you be hurt, either. I'll fight to the last drop of my blood, the last spark of my power, to keep the humans away from here. Away from our dream."

They're sitting on the floor now. At some point Wendy's legs must've given out. It doesn't matter. Chris isn't at NOA after all. It's all right. She has to be out there, somewhere. More people are flowing in by the day, even people who haven't been touched by the labs, who just want a place to be themselves. Her thoughts weren't wrong, she just has to be a little more patient. Help out here a little more.

And if she doesn't show up, then...then Wendy's been on her own before. She can do it again. She doesn't have to stay cooped up in here with Keith's infectious madness. In here with this stranger with her sister's face. Not here.


	3. Ashen Heart

The first blade of air sliced Keith's chest open. The second gouged out the inside of his right thigh. The last cut his throat.

Wendy watched him fall. He tried to freeze his blood in the end, but it was just too late. He landed with his head flung back, still dripping life blood out on the floor. Wendy tried to feel something. Sadness, for the one person who had treated so many psychics like they were human. Anger, at the madman who had tried to pay for his new world with the blood of the old. Regret, for being unable to convince him to stand aside and let her see Burn.

Burn! He was somewhere around here, wasn't he? Keith had said. Wendy landed as best she could, grabbed the wall to steady herself, and limped to the door furthest away from where she had come in. If Burn was anywhere, he'd be in the deepest part of NOA. If Keith had really been keeping him here these two years...it had to be as a prisoner. Wendy refused to face the possibility that Burn had joined Keith.

Unless Carlo had done something. Unless they'd done something like what the Army did to Emilio. Unless...

Burn wasn't in the first room she came across. Nor the second, or the third. NOA's internals were well-ordered and sterile, but they seemed to have a problem with labels. Keith had said Burn was here. He'd admitted it. So Burn had to be here, and not...thrown against the Army to be killed, like Regina? Thrown against the humans? Run away?

Wendy shook her head, but it didn't dislodge her increasingly worried thoughts. Emilio was dead by her own hand. Chris was dead and Wendy hadn't even known. Burn was all she had left. If he wasn't here...but was that better than him being in NOA, but not himself? Wendy couldn't decide. All she could do was hurry on, checking every likely corner.

At the end of a small, dark corridor, she caught a glimpse of light. Even if it wasn't Burn, maybe whoever was there would know something. The door was barely cracked open, as if someone had meant to shut it but not quite made it. Wendy pushed it open, carefully; just barely peeking behind it-

-until she saw what was in the room. It was Burn. It really was. Preserved in a glass casket, so Keith could...could...did it even matter? Everyone was dead. Emilio, Chris, and now Burn.

Wendy stumbled backward, unable to look away. It was exactly what she'd feared for two years now, that Burn really had died in the NOA explosion and all her searching was in vain. No one left. She was all alone.

The casket blurred with tears and she had to turn away. Even if he was...was...she still couldn't bring herself to break down right in front of Burn. She groped backward, making it through the door just before her knees gave out and dropped her on the ground.

She was sobbing now, desperate gasps as she wished Burn would just open his eyes, just this once, let someone _not be dead_. The gash in her side tore and ached, but Wendy couldn't pay attention to it now, not with everyone dead, not with Burn refusing to open his eyes and talk to her like he used to. She just couldn't face the world alone anymore.

Something brushed her head. Someone's hands were on her shoulders. Someone was talking to her. "Wendy? Wendy, what's wrong?"

She knew that voice. It was familiar, a voice of comfort and strength almost as good as her sister's. Burn was...alive?

He was, and Wendy flung herself on him without a second thought. He was real, perfectly warm and solid against her. She hugged him fiercely, trying to put every word she couldn't say about the last two years loneliness, searching, and sorrow into an embrace.

Burn stumbled back a bit, but managed to keep his balance. His arms came up to grasp her shoulders lightly, as if he wasn't quite sure why they were hugging, but he was still so wonderfully steady. He was saying something, still asking why she was crying. That wonderful idiot.

"Idiot! I'm just...you're actually alive!"

"Yeah...don't know how. Last I remember is fighting Keith, and then an explosion...I tried to shield him, but I don't know what happened after that." Burn stiffened, like something had just occurred to him. "Keith! Is he all right? What happened to him?"

_I killed him_

No, she couldn't say that. Not to Burn, who had loved Keith like...like no one else did. The only one who knew Keith as a man instead of a messiah. It would come out eventually, but she couldn't tell him just yet. Later, when they had mourned Emilio together and found somewhere safe.

"He survived and...well, he went right back to leading NOA." Burn's expression went dark, and Wendy continued like she hadn't noticed. "That's where we are, actually. We'd better get out of here."

Wendy pushed away, trying to smile brightly and not fall down. The trickle of blood down her side had dried, at least. The pain was still there. "Come on!"

Burn blinked, then jerked forward to offer an arm to support her. "Wendy, you're hurt! Did...who did this?"

"I got into a few fights on the way here. I'll be fine!" Wendy began to feel her lies twist around her in a suffocating tangle. It wasn't too bad yet, if she could just get Burn out of NOA. They had started walking, retracing her steps. That was the first step. The second was to figure a way out that didn't lead past Keith's corpse.

"We need to get you out of here, at least." He didn't look her in the eyes, almost distracted. "After that...if Keith's still leading NOA I have to stop him. And then...then we can all go home together."

Wendy didn't believe that, and she didn't think Burn did either. Keith would never accept living peacefully until all his enemies were dead or harmless. And Keith had made the entire world his enemy.

Tap tap. The endless corridors echoed only their footsteps back at them. Was it just that no one else was allowed back here, where they might find where Burn had been sleeping? Or had everyone been killed in the endless fighting? Tap tap. The base wasn't answering either way, and they were getting closer to the central hall. Where Keith was.

There weren't any paths that led outside. Sometimes Wendy would look down a hall, but none of them seemed to go the right way. And her side hurt so badly, and Burn stumbled from an inexplicable weakness, and they just couldn't justify exploring. Not like this.

Keith was at the end of the corridor. It was just a few feet more.

Burn was starting to frown. Wendy knew that distant look in his eyes. It always meant "Keith".

Just a few steps more. Short of pretending to faint, the only other option was to come clean now.

_Burn, in this room...I killed Keith_

She might throw up if she had to say that. Burn would try to understand. Burn might even forgive her. She just had to say something now. "Burn..."

"_Keith!_"

She was falling, too used to leaning on Burn to adjust when he dashed ahead. He was flying, just that tiniest bit faster than running, and he was at Keith's side before she managed to get her limbs all sorted out.

"...ow." It wasn't anything compared to fighting, but Wendy held onto her side tightly as she got up again and it seemed to help against the pain.

Nothing helped seeing Burn cradle Keith in his arms, seeing him call softly for Keith, as if Keith could still hear. Nothing helped watching Burn crumple into himself.

She walked over as quietly as possible. Burn didn't look up. His face was pressed into Keith's shoulder, heedless of the smears of blood. His shoulders were shaking, though he made no noise. Wendy couldn't think of anything to say. The right thing, the correct thing, the _honest_ thing would just make this worse.

If only she knew the right lie.

"Burn..."

He didn't reply, but he did slowly pull away from Keith. The movement made Kei-the corpse's head shake and loll alarmingly, as if it was about to come off and roll across the floor. The glassy eyes stared out in accusation at no one in particular.

Neither living person could meet them.

"I shouldn't be surprised." Burn's desperation seemed to have run it's course, and only a blank acceptance was left. "Lots of people wanted him gone. He wouldn't have backed down. Even...even I..." He curled back into the corpse's chest, fingers holding onto the shoulder with a grip that would've been painful less than an hour ago. "...but...but still I wanted..."

He sighed, the sound almost lost in the great hall. "I at least wanted to see him first."

Wendy turned away. Was it better? Was finding out Chris died alone, long before Wendy even knew there was a problem, better than finding out what Emilio had turned into and being forced to end it herself? She could remember Chris' cheerful smile before she got on the plane, the last time Wendy would ever see her. Chris would always be her kind and gentle sister. Now she couldn't think of the kind boy Emilio had been without remembering the cold eyes that had stared at her without recognition, and the brutal attack that had left her with no choice but to strike back. Emilio would always be touched by the shadow of the future. But...at least she had known what happened to him. At least she had been able to bring him peace. At least she had been able to bury him, to mourn when it was all still fresh.

There was no answer, and Wendy's stomach turned just trying to sort it out. It didn't matter in the end, did it? They were all still dead.

Tears were running down her nose. Wendy blinked and sniffled, surprised she even had some left. Surely she didn't have any left for herself or Keith.

"...hey, Wendy." Burn was calling her. Wendy gave her eyes a hasty rub to clear them and turned to look back at the pair. Burn had finally let Keith's body go and laid him out on the floor as best he could. Now Burn just stared at the body, one hand on Keith's forehead. "When you came by, was...was he already like this? Or..." Burn's head bowed, and were there sparks floating around him? "Did you see who did it? Are they still here?"

Those _were_ sparks.

_No, I didn't see him coming in, anyone could've killed him, let's get out of here_

_Yes, I killed him. I killed Emilio too. I had no choice!_

Either answer choked her.

How could she lie to Burn? How could she admit to having killed the one person he wanted to save above all the rest? (And oh, that stabbed too, even though she'd known it ever since they left NOA.) Burn would be in pain either way. Even if he forgave her for killing Keith, he'd never be able to forget it. But if he blamed someone else, she'd never be able to keep him from seeking vengeance forever.

If she admitted to it, would Burn try to kill her? Wendy wanted to say no. They couldn't kill each other, or they'd each be all alone. But sparks were flowing around Burn now, and his eyes looked determined.

If she lied and he found out later, they'd be in the same spot. So it was better to admit it now and get it over with. She'd have to tell him about Emilio either way.

But Emilio hadn't been himself. That had all been Wong. Keith had walked his path by his own free will, and she hadn't even killed him for that. She'd killed him because he refused to stand down without a fight.

Burn would've tried to kill Keith himself if they'd fought, and Keith would've returned the favour. They'd proved that two years ago. That didn't make it any easier to look Burn in the eyes and tell him that she'd been the one to slice Keith apart.

But she couldn't lie to him. Not to Burn.

"I...came here and asked to see you." Her voice was trembling and quiet, no matter how she tried to sound calm but regretful. "He said the only way was through him. So...so I went through him." Like a blade.

"Wendy..." There was emotion in Burn's voice, but for the life of her Wendy couldn't hear what it was. "You did this? You _killed_ - " And that emotion was anger, coming out in a great burning rush. Anything else Burn would've said lost in the crackling flame that surrounded him like a halo.

"I asked him to stand aside! I asked, but...but he just wouldn't... I wouldn't have killed him if he hadn't fought me!"

And Burn's flames were gone as if they'd never existed, leaving just a few embers to fade out before hitting the floor. "...no, you wouldn't have. I know. If it had been me..." Burn stared at his hand, slowly relaxing from a fist and smeared with Keith's blood. "Sorry Wendy."

"I know." She couldn't blame him. He'd never really been able to accept that the labs had killed the Keith he knew, the Keith that _only_ he knew. And if anyone else had killed Emilio...if she hadn't seen what had become of him with her own eyes...

Oh. Burn didn't know about Emilio yet. She'd have to tell him about that too, about how not only had she killed Keith, she'd failed their precious friend. If she'd stayed with Emilio when NOA fell instead of running back to look for survivors, if she'd managed to find him earlier, if she'd figured out a way to break whatever Wong had done, then maybe...

Burn had turned away, but he was still watching her out of the corner of his eye. Suspicion? Regret? It didn't matter. If she didn't speak up now, she'd have to tell him at Emilio's grave.

"Burn...there's more." Without looking at him, she continued, her voice still trembling. "I had to kill Emilio too. Wong did..._something_ to him, and he didn't know me, or anyone else. All he wanted to do was hurt people. He attacked me, and he wouldn't stop...until I killed him." There. More guilt unburdened. "I tried to talk to him! I tried, but...but he didn't know me, no matter what I said."

In her mind she could still see the cool green monument, illuminated by torches and Emilio's light. It had been what drew her there, what had given her the tiny amount of hope before the new Emilio had spoken and it all came crashing down. After that was nothing but chill air and the smell of blood.

"Wendy..." There was a hand on her shoulder, but she still couldn't look up. "God, Wendy, I'm sorry." And at least, at least he didn't blame her for Emilio's death.

There was still too much death between them for an embrace, but Wendy rested her head on Burn's chest, and he kept a steady hand on her shoulder, and it was something.

Eventually Burn's hand tightened. Not hard, but with determination. "You said that Wong did something to Emilio. I knew that bastard was up to something. Where is he now? I'll take care of it now."

There was strength and determination in his voice, something to live for after losing nearly everything. A bitter food like vengeance could keep a person going for a long time.

Wendy knew that all too well.

"Burn..." She let her head rest against him, just for a bit longer. Just a moment longer. "I already took care of it. I made absolutely, completely sure Wong was dead. And..." Her own hands were clenching into fists now, as she raised her eyes to Burn's shocked face. "I don't regret it. I'll mourn Emilio for the rest of my life. I'll even bow my head for Keith. But no matter what, I'll never regret killing Wong. Never!"

Somewhere past her fury, Wendy could see that Burn looked sick and hurt. So what? Wong had deserved it. No one could say otherwise. Burn would've done the same thing, was planning to do the same thing. And that was _fine_. Blood on her hands was a small price to rid the world of that man.

"He killed my sister too. I only found out when I asked him about it, but he turned her into Sonia and killed her two years ago. I had plenty of reason. No one's going to mourn him."

Burn still looked pale, but his expression changed to a thin-lipped acceptance. "...yeah. I can't say I was going to be any better. But, Wendy...I don't...geez, I just don't want to see you get like this. Not like..." Like who? Like...what?

Slowly, she stepped away from Burn, eyes sliding from his face to the comfortably expressionless wall. Her cold fury, like a bladed storm, was fading to a numb realisation of what she'd actually said. "Sorry. It's over now. It won't happen again." If they could get out here, find new lives, forget all this madness and pain...

Burn nodded, still distant. "Yeah, it's over now." He turned and walked back to Keith's corpse on the floor. "It's finally just...over."

Wendy watched. He understood, hopefully. Even if he could never see her as anything but a killer ever again, as long as he understood, as long as he'd stand by her. As long as she didn't have to do this alone.

It might be cruel or unfair, but she wasn't going to be alone and she wasn't going to let Burn be alone either. They'd both come too far.

"Let's go. We'll see Emilio's..." And even after admitting to it, Wendy still couldn't say 'Emilio's grave'. Burn would know what she meant. "We'll see Emilio, and tell him what happened."

Burn nodded without looking up. He knelt beside Keith again and took a lock of white hair in his fingers. "...did you manage to...? All by yourself?"

"Y-yeah." She'd torn at the ground with a hurricane, the wind reacting to the storm in her heart. When not even the breeze would respond to her any more she'd fallen upon the earth with her bare hands, heedless of how they'd cracked and bled. Clawing at the ground for hours, lost in a haze of tears and misery...but in the end when all her tears ran out and she'd looked up, it was in a hole deep enough for a grave.

"Keith needs one too." Burn slipped his arms beneath the corpse and picked him up, stumbling and barely managing to stand back up again. Keith's head rolled back further than it ever could when he was alive, exposing the obscene gap in his throat. "I'm not leaving him here."

Wendy walked up and carefully nudged Keith's head against Burn's shoulder, cradled there as if he had just gone to sleep. Burn had shut his eyes at some point and he looked almost at peace. Wendy wished she could've known him before, known the boy Burn had kept in his heart all these years.

Burn noticed and smiled an awkward, painful smile at her. "Come on. When we're done, we'll go see Emilio. Then...I dunno, we'll figure out something."

Wendy smiled and nodded back, no less awkwardly. They were alone in a world that would never accept psychics, a world that no longer had the most important people in it. But they were still alive, and together they'd survive.


End file.
